50 States, 50 Breakthroughs

Alabama faced severe worker shortages and a maze of fragmented credentials that made it hard for residents and employers to match skills to jobs. In 2023, the Governor’s Office of Education and Workforce Transformation and the Alabama Workforce Council, working with 19 state agencies and tech partner EBSCOed, launched the Alabama Talent Triad, the United States’ first full-scale, state-facilitated skills-based talent marketplace.

Built on a shared competency framework, it links three tools: a statewide credential registry, a skills-based employer portal and job description generator and a Learning and Employment Record that lets individuals own and share verified skills data. Now sponsored by the Alabama Department of Workforce, Alabama has validated more than 228,000 credentials and enrolled over 126,000 candidates, advancing its goal of adding 500,000 credentialed workers and offering a model other states can adapt.

Indiana’s Department of Workforce Development realized that some of the state’s strongest workforce insights were trapped across siloed datasets spanning education, wages and unemployment insurance. To unlock this information for residents, the state built Pivot, a machine-learning tool that analyzes more than 160 million government records to generate personalized, ranked career and training recommendations. Pivot evaluates factors like wages, job demand, required credentials and local opportunities to give job seekers clear, data-driven options instead of leaving them to navigate scattered resources or guess which pathways lead to good jobs. By mid-2024, more than 23,000 people had used the tool to chart upwardly mobile career paths. By stitching together data from multiple agencies and pairing it with AI, Indiana created a practical, personalized guidance system that makes the state’s workforce data work directly for residents — and strengthens the connection between training, skills and real labor-market outcomes.

To help businesses tackle workforce shortages and boost productivity, North Dakota launched the Automate ND grant program run by the Department of Commerce. Funded with $5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, the program offers eligible businesses up to $500,000 — covering up to 50 % of costs — to invest in automation machinery, equipment or software. The initiative responds to a tight labor market where companies struggle to hire and expand. Automate ND requires applicants to conduct a feasibility study and targets sectors such as manufacturing and agricultural processing. Early funding rounds saw widespread interest, with 42 projects across 21 communities requesting more than $11.8 million in support. Awarded projects are expected to boost productivity per employee, allow firms to grow without doubling headcount and offer higher wages and safer work environments. By aligning public investment with private automation, North Dakota is building a more resilient, modern workforce and industrial base.

In 2024, Puerto Rico launched an AI-driven hiring platform across nine government agencies to modernize recruitment and reduce bias in traditionally slow, paper-heavy processes. Over seven months, the system helped fill 339 positions from 311 job postings, with some hires completed in as little as 13 days — a major improvement for agencies accustomed to long vacancies. The platform uses AI to match applicants’ skills to job requirements and masks identifying details during early screening to minimize bias and widen the talent pool. It also standardizes workflows so candidates experience a clearer, more predictable process. Feedback was strong: 88% of HR officials said the platform improved efficiency, and 87% of applicants praised its transparency. The pilot showed how AI can make government hiring faster, fairer and easier to navigate, offering a replicable model for modernizing public-sector recruitment.

Utah tackled growing recruitment and retention challenges in its National Guard by overhauling how it gathers and uses member feedback. Previously, data came through scattered surveys and was manually compiled, making it difficult to see patterns. Partnering with the state’s Division of Technology Services, the Guard redesigned its surveys and built a consolidated dashboard that brings all responses into one place. Leaders can now track trends, compare groups and pinpoint issues across stages of service. The first year of data revealed two major barriers: many members didn’t fully understand their benefits, and those who did often found them too complex to access. Education benefits alone were split across 13 programs with confusing rules. The Guard responded by simplifying benefits, decentralizing information and creating a unified application process. Alongside new financial incentives, these reforms have strengthened retention — by December 2024, Utah ranked 8th nationally in the Strength Health Index, reflecting strong momentum.

The Talent Up Fairfax Fund, in Fairfax County, Virginia — launched in late 2023— offered employers a free, low-risk way to hire new talent through paid work-based learning internships. By the time it completed in mid-2025, the program engaged 189 employers and placed 193 interns at a median wage of $25 per hour, delivering meaningful career pathways and modernizing hiring practices. State-of-the-art measurement tools captured job-seeker placements and employer participation, demonstrating how public funding can align with business needs. The program’s model offers a blueprint for future workforce innovation in the region, showing how income-eligible jobseekers and local employers can benefit from shared investment in “grow-your-own” talent strategies.

In mid-2025, West Virginia launched a pilot helping working parents afford child care by creating a cost-share model between employers, providers and the state. Fourteen employers and seventeen child-care providers in eight counties are participating, with one parent saving about $80 a week through the program. The model aligns employer incentives with public support and targets low-income families balancing jobs and child-care burdens. Funding comes from a two-year, $1.9 million Appalachian Regional Commission grant and $495,000 from the state’s Department of Economic Development. Early employer partners view the approach as a practical way to retain staff and reduce absenteeism. By sharing the cost of care, the pilot is easing financial pressure on families, strengthening the workforce and demonstrating a promising blueprint West Virginia can scale to support working parents statewide.

In a vast state with unpredictable weather, reliable transport information isn’t a convenience — it’s a necessity. This is especially true in winter, when conditions can change rapidly and extreme weather becomes routine. In Anchorage, heavy snowfall often makes roads unpredictable, creating real safety risks for residents traveling to work, school or essential services. Simply put, people need to know what they’re facing before they head out.

Rather than building new systems from scratch, the Municipality of Anchorage focused on a simple but critical goal: visibility. The city’s innovation team enhanced the existing Alaska 511 platform — already a trusted source of real-time traffic information — by making traffic camera feeds from key intersections mobile-friendly and easy to access. With clearer, real-time views of road conditions, residents could better plan their journeys and travel more safely during severe weather.

This practical, community-centered approach shows how targeted improvements to existing public infrastructure can deliver outsized impact. The project was recognized with the Local IT Innovation of the Year award.

Northwest Arkansas looks different from most regions in the United States. Instead of a single dominant city, it is a constellation of small cities spread across the Ozark Mountains. Road infrastructure alone could not deliver the connectivity, mobility or quality of place needed to attract talent to the region.

The Razorback Greenway addresses this challenge through a 36-mile multi-use trail linking seven downtowns, three hospitals, 23 schools, the University of Arkansas and major employers including Walmart, J.B. Hunt Transport Services and Tyson Foods. Backed by $15 million in federal funding and a Design Excellence grant from the Walton Family Foundation, the project unified 17 separate bike and pedestrian initiatives into one continuous regional network with shared governance and long-term investment.

More than a recreational amenity, the Greenway serves as a regional spine for active transportation and trail-oriented development. As it marks its 10-year anniversary in 2025, responses from a region-wide survey on the impact of the Razorback Greenway are helping shape a community-led vision for the next 25 years of growth and connectivity.

Henry County, Georgia has modernized how it plans freight and warehouse development by creating a geospatial decision-support tool that brings data into the heart of land-use decisions. The tool analyzes transportation access, road capacity, environmental constraints, proximity to communities and other key factors to help officials evaluate proposed sites with far greater accuracy and transparency.

Instead of relying on fragmented data or case-by-case judgement, planners can now compare locations side by side and understand the trade-offs of development in real time. The system supports more equitable outcomes by highlighting potential impacts on nearby residents and identifying where infrastructure investments are needed before projects move forward. It also strengthens environmental stewardship by mapping wetlands, flood zones and sensitive habitats.

By using advanced mapping to guide one of the county’s fastest-growing sectors, Henry County is improving public trust, supporting balanced economic development and setting a model for data-informed planning in high-growth regions.

Des Moines is revitalizing its East Village through the Market District Green Infrastructure Plan, a long-term effort that pairs sustainable design with urban redevelopment. The project incorporates more than 80 bioretention cells — including rain gardens and infiltration systems — supported by advanced 3D scanning and hydrologic modeling to reduce stormwater runoff, improve water quality and weave green infrastructure directly into streets and public spaces.

Phase 1, completed in 2024, delivered major underground upgrades: modernized stormwater systems, updated utilities and enhanced streetscapes that set the stage for new development. Phase 2 is now underway and will enable mixed-use and residential projects, public gathering areas, retail and cultural amenities.

By integrating climate-resilient infrastructure early, Des Moines is creating a district that can manage heavy rainfall, support future growth and provide a greener, more livable urban environment. The approach shows how cities can use infrastructure design to drive both ecological and economic revitalization.

Kansas has taken a major step toward treating internet access as essential public infrastructure. In April 2025, Governor Laura Kelly signed House Bill 2061, officially classifying broadband cables, wires, antennas and related equipment as critical infrastructure — putting it on par with water, electricity and transportation systems. The law makes tampering a felony offense, a response to nationwide vandalism that disrupted service for hundreds of thousands of customers in 2024.

By strengthening protections, Kansas aims to reduce outages, improve public safety and ensure more reliable service for rural and underserved communities where connectivity is already fragile. The designation also unlocks access to federal guidance from agencies like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and improves coordination across state and local partners working to build resilient networks. With this shift, Kansas positions itself as a national leader in safeguarding broadband as a vital utility for digital equity, economic growth and everyday life.

Sidewalks may not look like a breakthrough at first glance. But in communities where safe ways to move, connect and access daily life are limited, they can be transformative.

“Having good sidewalks in a neighborhood increases the ability of neighbors to connect with one another,” said Arkansas District 2 Tribal Councilor Candessa Tehee. In Tahlequah, they also address a more urgent reality. Residents have long been forced to walk along U.S. Highway 62 without protected pedestrian space — navigating grass, steep inclines or traffic lanes just to reach schools, jobs and essential services.

Rather than treating this as a narrow infrastructure gap, the Cherokee Nation and the City of Tahlequah saw an opportunity to strengthen the community. Through a shared partnership, they are delivering a 4.4-mile sidewalk that reconnects key destinations and creates safer, more accessible routes for thousands of residents.

The $8 million project brings together tribal, city, state and federal investment — primarily through the Cherokee Nation Public Health and Wellness Fund Act, alongside $416,451 from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program. Construction is expected to conclude in 2026.

In many tribal communities, transportation gaps can limit access to jobs, healthcare, and daily services — shaping both economic opportunity and health outcomes. By addressing unsafe pedestrian conditions along U.S. Highway 62, this project shows how rethinking basic infrastructure can remove barriers and support safer, more connected communities.

South Dakota’s Infrastructure First Project helps small and rural communities plan smarter, more strategic investments in critical infrastructure. Many towns lack the staff capacity, technical expertise or long-term planning tools needed to assess aging systems or prepare for future growth. The program fills that gap by working directly with local leaders to create five-year capital improvement plans grounded in data, engineering assessments and community priorities.

Participating communities receive support to inventory existing assets, identify the most urgent needs and estimate costs for projects like water systems, roads, wastewater treatment and public facilities. The result is a clear, actionable roadmap that helps local governments secure funding, avoid emergency repairs and sequence investments more effectively.

By strengthening planning capacity at the local level, the Infrastructure First Project is helping communities protect essential services, stretch limited budgets and build more resilient infrastructure systems across South Dakota.

Access is at the core of equity in government — and, in 2024, Chandler, Arizona proved what that can look like in practice. A six-month pilot introduced Instant Language Assistance (ILA) translation devices across more than ten city departments and 20 divisions to remove communication barriers and make every interaction feel welcoming. The result was more than 560 face-to-face conversations totalling 2,269 minutes, with an average exchange lasting about 4 minutes and 15 seconds. The devices supported more than 120 languages and dialects and expanded access for residents with speech, hearing and visual disabilities.

The pilot’s success earned Chandler the 2025 IDC Smart Cities North America Award and prompted the City Council to approve long-term funding to expand the service over the next three years. Chandler is now setting a new standard for inclusive governance where technology helps every resident engage, participate and be heard.

Minnesota transformed how residents access public assistance by launching MNbenefits, a unified online system that lets people apply for multiple safety-net programs in one session. Developed in partnership with Code for America, the platform replaced a maze of county-specific forms, separate websites and inconsistent document requirements that blocked eligible residents. MNbenefits reduces the process to an average of under 15 minutes, down from more than an hour.

Built in the state’s tech stack and launched statewide in November 2021, MNbenefits includes mobile-friendly design, English and Spanish options, photo document upload and no login requirement. The system now spans all 87 counties plus three tribal nations, gives residents smoother access to benefits like food assistance and child-care support and enables the state to operate in a more agile, user-centered way.

Mississippi is speeding up access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by making it far easier for applicants to submit proof of income and required documents. Through a mobile-first tool called PromiseVerified, Mississippi Department of Human Services caseworkers can receive pay stubs and verified income data quickly and securely. Applicants receive a text link, upload a photo of a document or connect directly to payroll or gig platforms, and the tool checks image quality before staff review it. This reduces back-and-forth and cuts delays that often cause people to miss benefits.

In pilot counties, timeliness improved by 35%, expedited cases moved 10–25% faster and 72% of applicants submitted documents the same day — with nearly half responding within the first hour. Staff saved about two hours per week, and both applicants and caseworkers rated the tool 4.9 out of 5. The result is quicker, fairer decisions and audit-ready records that make SNAP processing more accurate and compliant.

Lebanon, New Hampshire has made its permitting process more transparent and predictable with an online Permit Fee Calculator that gives residents, contractors and developers instant cost estimates. Users choose whether their project is residential or commercial, enter the estimated construction value and receive an automatic calculation based on the city’s official fee schedule — including base filing fees and review surcharges.

The tool removes guesswork by showing applicants what they can expect to pay before they begin the formal permitting process, helping them plan budgets more accurately and avoid surprises. It also cuts down on routine inquiries to city staff, freeing up time for more complex permitting questions and improving overall customer service. By digitizing a previously opaque step in the development process, Lebanon has streamlined permitting, reduced confusion and created a clearer, more efficient experience for both applicants and staff.

New Jersey created the Communication and Engagement Lab (C+E Lab) in 2022 to solve a common but overlooked barrier: residents can’t benefit from government programs if they don’t know they exist. The Lab brings modern consumer-marketing techniques into government, using research and data to understand residents’ motivations, barriers and aspirations, then crafting messages that answer the question every audience asks first: “What’s in it for me?” Instead of pushing information from the top down, the Lab works with agencies to activate hard-to-reach groups at scale.

The approach is already transforming outcomes. A campaign supporting adults who previously left college increased belief in completing a degree by 15% and boosted feelings of state support by 127%, contributing to 11,900 re-enrollments and more than 1,100 graduates. Business-focused campaigns drove 1.9 million users to Business.NJ.gov. Messaging for the IRS Direct File pilot increased confidence in self-filing taxes and drove most of the state’s traffic, helping residents save more than $1 million.

The Social Security Administration created the Service Index to transform how it understands and improves the services it delivers to the public. The Index catalogs every SSA service—online, phone, and in person—and links each service to the customer tasks, journeys, and internal components involved. For the first time, SSA has a complete, system-wide view of how people experience its services, revealing gaps, overlaps, and inconsistencies that cause delays or confusion.

This system-wide view is driving improvements across the agency. It informs clearer FAQs, updates to automated phone menus, and smarter call routing, so customers reach the right expert the first time. It guides analysis on call and visitor volumes to identify where digital options can reduce administrative burden for both the public and staff. The Index was instrumental to the recent SSA.gov homepage redesign, serving as a north star for the web team as they built out a series of new webpages. It is also shaping SSA’s new virtual assistant by defining the tasks and information customers need most.

More than a technical tool, the Service Index represents a cultural shift toward collaboration and human-centered service design, offering a model other agencies can adapt and scale.

After the January 2025 Southern California fires, California needed a way to hear directly from those most affected. Engaged California was created to do exactly that — a digital platform that let survivors shape recovery efforts at scale. Launched in February 2025 by the Office of Data and Innovation with support from the Government Operations Agency and the Newsom Administration, Engaged California acted as a modern town hall where people could participate anonymously and without the limits of traditional public meetings.

Built with global leaders in digital democracy, Engaged California translated resident input into clear insights for decision makers. Over roughly 60 days, participants contributed more than 2,500 comments and cast nearly 4,000 votes to identify a community-driven “top 5” set of recovery priorities. The process helped state and local leaders develop an action plan shaped by those who lived through the fires — and set a scalable model for future public deliberation.

When back-to-back hurricanes Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton struck the Tampa Bay region in 2024, the city of Oldsmar responded with two coordinated tools to boost resilience. First came the “Pledge to Evacuate” campaign — a call for residents and businesses to commit ahead of time to known evacuation routes, understand their zones and plan for storm surge risks.

Then the city launched the Support Services Alliance, a coordination platform for nonprofits, churches, businesses and volunteers to mobilise after the storm. Together, the alliance served nearly 12,000 meals, and supported almost 5,000 households through 430+ volunteers.

Recognized with the Future of the Region Award for Community Preparedness and Resiliency, Oldsmar’s model is now embedded in its emergency operations plan and offers a scalable blueprint for other cities that face increasingly intense storm seasons.

In spring 2024, Kentucky became the first U.S. state to capture high-resolution aerial imagery of its entire geography — covering all 120 counties at three-inch resolution — and made it publicly available via the KYFromAbove Explorer. Certified 911 call centers now use the data to enhance situational awareness, helping first responders locate and rescue people in danger during storms and direct emergency operations more precisely. Beyond emergency response, the imagery supports broadband expansion, infrastructure planning, economic development, wildlife management and property assessment.

The initiative gives communities a powerful tool for safety, resilience and growth by unlocking a single high-quality data layer that serves multiple sectors. By democratizing access to detailed geospatial information, Kentucky set a new standard for how states can leverage technology to improve public service, boost economic potential and strengthen disaster readiness.

Horry County, South Carolina modernized how it manages stormwater fees and disaster response by replacing infrequent aerial surveys with drones and GIS technology. Stormwater fees are charges that property owners pay to help maintain the pipes, canals and drainage systems that prevent flooding. The fees are based on “impervious surfaces” like roofs and pavement that create runoff instead of absorbing water. Historically, the county measured these surfaces only every three to four years, meaning new developments often went unbilled and critical revenue for drainage infrastructure was lost.

Now the county uses drones to capture impervious surface data as soon as construction finishes, allowing fees to be assessed immediately and significantly increasing revenue. The same tools strengthen emergency response: after hurricanes, drones map beach erosion for federal re-nourishment requests, and citizen portals let residents report damage so first responders can be deployed where they’re needed most. This modern approach improves fiscal accuracy, speeds recovery and protects a tourism economy built on healthy, resilient beaches.

Electric utilities across the United States are facing rising energy demand alongside growing expectations for affordable, reliable and low-carbon power. Meeting these pressures is not only a question of new technologies, but of how early utilities prepare for them. Increasingly, innovation in the power sector means thinking years ahead — anticipating regulatory requirements, securing permits in advance and building institutional readiness long before technologies reach full deployment.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) — the largest provider of public power in the United States — has made this kind of forward-looking preparation central to its strategy. At its Clinch River Nuclear Site near Oak Ridge, TVA holds the nation’s first early site permit for small modular reactors, giving the utility a critical head start as the technology becomes commercially viable. The TVA Board has approved $350 million to advance the project. In parallel, TVA is preparing for longer-term breakthroughs by exploring fusion energy, signing a Cooperative Agreement in February 2025 with Type One Energy to develop a 350-megawatt fusion pilot plant. Together, these efforts show how proactive planning can unlock innovation, positioning TVA to deliver resilient, affordable and low-carbon power for decades to come.

Colorado residents struggling with high energy costs faced a maze of uncoordinated assistance programs scattered across agencies, utilities and nonprofits. Families who needed support most often didn’t know where to start — or missed out entirely because each program had its own website, application and eligibility rules. The Colorado Energy Savings Navigator (CESN) solved this by bringing multiple jurisdictions together to build a single screening tool that shows residents every energy incentive they qualify for in one place.

Seed funding from the Statewide Internet Portal Authority enabled state agencies (including Colorado PUC, Colorado Energy Office, the Governor's Office, and the Colorado Digital Service) to partner with philanthropy, national nonprofits and the existing MyFriendBen platform, cutting development costs by more than $300,000 and speeding up delivery. CESN integrates Rewiring America’s API to surface more than 670 clean energy and efficiency incentives statewide, informed by user research in English and Spanish. The project shows how shared infrastructure can overcome regulatory and budget barriers and deliver services no single entity could build alone.

In June 2025, the University of Guam (UoG) launched the first Guam Green Growth (G3) GROW Corps, a six-month workforce program designed to restore and reforest the island’s vulnerable Ugum Watershed. Led by UoG’s Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant in partnership with the Guam Restoration of Watersheds Initiative, the program builds a paid, hands-on pathway into the island’s growing green economy. Participants work full time collecting seeds, maintaining nurseries, learning planting methods and applying watershed restoration techniques in the field.

The goal is both environmental and economic: to strengthen community resilience while preparing a skilled local workforce to tackle the island’s climate and conservation challenges. With its focus on practical experience and steady stipends, the G3 GROW Corps is helping to protect a critical watershed, advance Guam’s sustainability goals and create new career opportunities rooted in environmental stewardship.

The island city of Eastport, Maine, faced a serious vulnerability: it relies on a single long transmission line and suffers frequent outages. To fix this, Eastport secured grands from the Department of Energy to build a community microgrid powered by solar and tidal energy, with battery storage to “island off” from the main grid during storms. That means critical services stay online for three to four hours without resorting to costly, high-carbon diesel generators.

The initiative also supports residents in improving insulation and home energy efficiency, reducing load and enhancing overall resilience. Eastport’s locally driven and renewables-based model meets the challenges of a remote location and sets a blueprint for other off-grid or vulnerable communities aiming for energy security and sustainability.

Reno is confronting extreme heat by partnering with researchers to map temperatures at street-level resolution, giving the city one of the most detailed heat datasets in the country. Using sensors mounted on vehicles and satellites, the project captures how heat varies block-by-block, revealing stark differences between neighborhoods based on tree cover, pavement, building materials and traffic patterns.

The findings highlight where residents face the highest exposure — often in lower-income areas with limited shade — and help the city prioritize cooling investments such as shade structures, reflective pavements and expanded tree canopy. The data also supports emergency planning by identifying areas at greatest risk during heat waves.

By combining scientific research with targeted infrastructure improvements, Reno is building a more precise climate-resilient approach to urban heat management, showing how cities can use hyperlocal data to protect residents as extreme temperatures become more frequent.

Rhode Island’s 2021 Act on Climate commits the state to net-zero emissions by 2050, with home heating identified as one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gases. To meet this challenge, the state launched Clean Heat Rhode Island (CHRI) in 2023 to help residents transition from oil, propane and natural gas to high-efficiency electric heat pumps.

The program established a statewide Heat Pump Installer Network, added virtual consultations and created a quote-review service to make adoption clearer and easier for households. In 2025, CHRI expanded again using Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) funding to create a Low-to-Moderate Income Heat Pump Incentive Program, opening access to households earning up to 150% of the state median income.

The initiative lowers costs, simplifies installation and builds a qualified workforce — all while cutting emissions. Together, CHRI’s programs make clean heating more accessible, affordable and scalable for Rhode Islanders pursuing climate-friendly home energy.

Cities across the United States face a common challenge: ambitious climate goals require upfront investment in grid capacity, electrification and reliability, but traditional funding tools often fall short. Burlington, Vermont confronted this gap as it set out to eliminate fossil fuels from heating and ground transportation under its Net Zero Energy by 2030 plan.

The breakthrough came in 2022, when Burlington Electric Department (BED) issued its first $20 million Net Zero Energy Revenue Bond. Repaid through utility revenues rather than taxes, the bond created a dedicated financing mechanism to accelerate electrification — funding grid upgrades, EV fast chargers and technology systems needed to support new incentive programs. It marked a shift from incremental programs to long-term, system-wide investment.

As electrification accelerated and demand on the grid increased, Burlington built on that model. In 2024, BED advanced a second $20 million Net Zero Energy and Grid Reliability Revenue Bond, approved unanimously for the ballot. This bond expanded capacity, strengthened reliability, unlocked federal matching grants and reduced near-term rate pressure. Together, the two bonds show how innovative municipal finance can turn climate ambition into durable, scalable infrastructure.

Washington set aside $150M to deliver $200 electric bill credits to households across the state by Sept 15, 2024. The Department of Commerce led the program and partnered with Promise and utilities to match existing program records to utility customers so most eligible households received credits automatically. Promise created a simple online form to confirm eligibility for the 25% who could not qualify through categorical eligibility.

In 100 days, the program reached ~685,000 households;about 75% automatically qualified through data matching;and 95% of funds went to low-income households. Residents and utility staff reported high satisfaction, noting clear steps and fast relief. Utilities and Washington residents were delighted, and press was very positive. Every dollar is confirmed to have landed in families’ account thanks to strict reconciliation. The program has resulted in rapid, low-friction relief for residents, less manual work for utilities, and a clear audit trail for the state.

Connecticut is accelerating regional innovation with its Innovation Clusters Program, a $100 million initiative launched in May 2024 by the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). The program focuses on industries where the state has clear strengths — biotechnology, life sciences, FinTech, InsureTech and advanced manufacturing — and encourages municipalities to partner with businesses, nonprofits or universities to build out local innovation ecosystems. Projects set in walkable downtowns or campus districts with good transit access and workforce training receive priority, reinforcing the state’s push for connected, talent-rich environments.

DECD leaders see these clusters as a way to support emerging technologies such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence, which they expect to reshape major industries in the coming years. The goal is straightforward: create hubs where startups can launch, researchers can experiment and residents can gain skills for high-growth careers, helping regions across Connecticut compete in the next wave of technological advancement.

Illinois is making a major play to lead the next wave of high-tech innovation by investing $500 million in the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, a 128-acre campus set to be partially operational by late 2026. The park will bring together quantum researchers, developers, manufacturers and suppliers in one ecosystem designed to accelerate breakthroughs and attract industry investment.

Illinois already produces the third-highest number of STEM graduates in the country, yet many leave for coastal tech hubs. The state aims to shift that trend by building a world-class cluster that anchors talent and grows new career pathways. Workforce efforts extend far beyond scientists and engineers — the quantum sector will also need lawyers, HR specialists, technicians and communications experts.

Partnerships with K–12 schools, community colleges and universities are underway to prepare a diverse pipeline of future workers. By building both the infrastructure and the talent engine, Illinois is positioning itself as a national leader in quantum technology and advanced manufacturing

In July 2025, Delaware took a bold step to shape the future of artificial intelligence by launching an AI sandbox initiative. The move, backed by Governor Matt Meyer and state legislators through a joint resolution, makes Delaware one of the first states in the United States to create a supervised environment for piloting advanced AI technologies across sectors like biotechnology, healthcare, chemicals, financial services and corporate governance. By temporarily easing certain regulations while embedding strong safeguards for consumers and public trust, the initiative gives innovators room to experiment without compromising oversight. Officials say the program will boost jobs, opportunity and trust, and build on Delaware’s reputation for responsible innovation. With legislation expected by January 2026 to formalise the sandbox, Delaware is positioning itself as a national leader in the ethical, forward-looking development of agentic AI.

Honolulu’s Department of Planning & Permitting (DPP) piloted an AI-augmented plan review tool, CivCheck, to address long-standing permitting delays and a growing backlog in housing and construction applications. The agency had struggled for years with slow turnaround times and repeated design corrections that consumed staff capacity. During the pilot, CivCheck helped codify plan reviewers’ expertise into clear rule sets, allowing the system to pre-screen or handle straightforward submissions while flagging only complex or unusual cases for human review. This shift gave staff more time to focus on higher-value work and improved overall throughput.

The tool was never intended to replace reviewers but to increase consistency, reduce rework and expand capacity. Following the pilot’s success, Honolulu reported faster processing and fewer bottlenecks, and the city is now negotiating a long-term partnership with CivCheck. The effort demonstrates how carefully deployed AI can support permitting teams and accelerate housing production without compromising oversight.

Maryland’s Innovation Team in Governor Moore’s Office developed Legi-Assist – an open-source Python toolkit that automates how civil servants read, analyze and summarize legislation. Facing a legislative dataset of over 1,800 bills from the 2025 session and previous years, the team needed a faster way to filter relevance to its mission rather than reading hundreds of documents.

Legi-Assist solves this by downloading Maryland General Assembly bills, converting them into machine-readable formats, applying amendments accurately, and using large language models to answer policy-relevant questions about prior, current, and proposed laws.

The toolkit reduces the manual burden on analysts and helps legislative staff understand complex changes more quickly and reliably. It is fully open-source on GitHub and can be adapted to other state contexts or policy questions. Legi-Assist reflects Maryland’s commitment to building “AI in the open” and empowering in-house innovators to create tools that support staff and improve internal efficiency.

For civil servants who must stay on top of shifting legislation, Legi-Assist can provide a time-saving approach to in-depth, comprehensive policy research. By streamlining labor-intensive research processes, the tool enables policy to more quickly translate to program implementation and practical impact for residents.

Boston is modernizing how it manages curb space by using AI-enabled mapping and analytics to turn one of the city’s most contested assets — the curb — into a digital, machine-readable system. Starting in Chinatown, the city is building a full digital model of Boston’s curb network using street-level imagery, LiDAR data and AI to automatically translate physical layouts and parking rules into accurate curb data. With this foundation, Boston’s Office of Emerging Technology, Parking Clerk and New Mobility teams will pilot dynamic curb policies that respond to real-time demand, improving safety, access and efficiency.

Expected benefits include clearer visibility of parking availability and signage rules for residents and businesses, faster decision-making for planners and simpler processes for changing permits or reallocating curb space. Supported by a U.S. Department of Transportation (SMART) grant and scheduled for completion in 2026, the project aims to reduce friction, align curb use with community needs and bring transparency to one of Boston’s most complex urban systems.

Like many local governments, Pecos City, Texas faced pressure to deliver core services with fewer staff and tighter budgets. Manual finance processes — including cash receipts and bank reconciliations — were time-consuming, error-prone and costly, resulting in reporting delays, financial penalties and a reconciliation backlog of up to nine months.

The city piloted AI-driven robotic process automation (RPA) to streamline high-volume finance tasks, focusing on quick wins such as sales tax reporting and daily cash reconciliation. The impact was immediate: backlogs were eliminated, penalties removed, accuracy improved and staff saved dozens of hours each month, reducing the need for additional hiring. The initiative created a leaner, more efficient finance function and was recognised with a 2023 Award for Excellence in Government Finance from the Government Finance Officers Association.

In the face of shrinking groundwater and river supplies, the city of Boise made a bold move to secure its water future. Around 70% of the city’s water comes from aquifers and 30% from the Boise River, both under long-term stress from drought, irrigation demands and declining snowpack. City of Boise Water Renewal Services responded with a 10-year strategic plan launched in 2020 to expand water recycling including aquifer recharge and a new state-of-the-art facility.

The city built strong public support with more than 50 community meetings,to show trade-offs of water treatment models to address limited water supply. That outreach helped voters approve an $570 million bond with 81% support. The result: Boise is not just planning for water scarcity but turning innovation into community ownership — pairing technical advancement with everyday engagement to build a resilient water ecosystem.

Baton Rouge is strengthening civic engagement by helping residents build the skills needed to understand and use public data. Through the Citizen Data Academy, the city offers hands-on training in open-data platforms, dashboards and mapping tools so residents can access information, interpret trends and participate more confidently in local decision-making.

The program improves digital literacy and demystifies government data, showing people how to explore neighborhood conditions, track city performance and use data to advocate for community priorities. Participants learn practical skills — from navigating datasets to creating simple maps — that support everything from neighborhood planning to monitoring public safety and infrastructure issues.

By giving residents the tools to analyze the same information used by policymakers, Baton Rouge is building community capacity and expanding who gets to participate meaningfully in policymaking. The Academy’s model demonstrates how cities can move beyond transparency alone toward true data empowerment and more informed, inclusive civic dialogue.

Grand Rapids is strengthening local democracy through a participatory budgeting program that gives residents direct power over how public dollars are spent. The initiative invites community members to propose ideas, help refine project designs and ultimately vote on which projects receive funding.

By shifting decision-making closer to the people most affected, the program aims to improve equity, trust and civic engagement across the city. Residents can submit ideas online or at in-person events, and trained volunteer “budget delegates” work alongside city staff to turn those ideas into feasible project proposals. The final ballot reflects community priorities, with winning projects funded through the city’s Capital Improvement Program.

This approach broadens who gets to shape public investment. Grand Rapids’ model demonstrates how participatory budgeting can turn civic input into real projects and deepen resident involvement in local government.

Innovate 311 bridges the gap between a resident’s service request and the complex government work required to resolve it. Today, requests move through multiple departments and contractors with limited transparency and confusing jargon, which can make the city feel unresponsive and weaken trust.

This breakthrough is a human-centered, data-informed digital transformation project led by a newly formed 311 Innovation Project Team—a cross-department, multidisciplinary coalition that breaks down silos and models future collaborative problem-solving. Using advanced data practices and emerging technologies, including AI, Kansas City is shifting from reactive service to anticipatory governance, with culturally responsive analysis to better reflect resident needs. They are redesigning workflows to ensure clear ownership, confirmed handoffs, and fully resolved requests, while improving communication through smarter defaults like opt-out status updates. The result is a replicable 311 model that strengthens engagement, trust, and service delivery.

Metro Smart Cities works with neighbourhoods and communities to reimagine how people move around Omaha. Its goal is simple: to inspire residents to imagine better futures for mobility — and to test practical, people-centered solutions that can make daily travel safer and easier.

Through small-scale pilots and community feedback, Metro Smart Cities explores everyday mobility improvements such as bike lanes, walking routes and street upgrades. Residents are invited not just to comment on proposals, but to help shape them — asking what an ideal neighbourhood street or city journey could look like.

The initiative brings together local government, universities, transit providers, technologists and nonprofits to test ideas in real-world conditions. These pilots generate data and local evidence to guide future investment and build support for change.

Projects range from new micromobility infrastructure to creative public engagement. The Market to Midtown Bikeway began as a temporary pilot, increasing cycling and improving safety, while HOAAM — an interactive quiz — aimed to educate Omaha drivers about the importance of reliable and affordable public transport.

By combining community insight, experimentation and collaboration, Metro Smart Cities shows how neighbourhood-led pilots can unlock more connected and sustainable urban mobility.

The City of Raleigh’s Office of Strategy and Innovation overhauled its strategic planning process by replacing an unwieldy, top-down system with a human-centered, data-driven model built for action rather than paperwork. After finding that its previous plan — 25 objectives and nearly 100 initiatives — generated reporting instead of results, the city ran a six-month evaluation with more than 250 staff and experts to identify barriers like unclear ownership, inaccessible language and weak feedback loops.

Adopted in June 2025, the new framework cuts objectives by half and reduces initiatives from 95 to 35, sharpening focus on measurable outcomes. Each initiative now begins with a tailored data packet, and a phased approach — research, testing and scaling — helps teams iterate using evidence. The redesign has boosted staff engagement and accountability, clarified roles and embedded strategic work into daily operations. Resident input from focus groups and surveys strengthened alignment with community priorities, turning strategy into tangible progress and making planning more responsive and effective.

In Montana, long distances and a limited mental health workforce make it difficult for young people to access timely support. 51 of the state’s 56 counties are designated mental health professional shortage areas, creating significant access gaps.

Project YES, developed by the Lab for Scalable Mental Health, provides digital single-session interventions (SSIs) as an on-demand mode of mental health support. Each session takes about 10 minutes to complete and delivers a concrete skill or strategy that youth can use immediately.

Montana has opted to roll out Project YES at the statewide level, making it the first state in the United States to offer free, evidence-based digital mental health interventions to youth statewide. The program will serve as a free resource for young people across the state, without requiring appointments or travel. The work is progressing through a collaborative co-design process between Montana Pediatrics and the Lab, alongside the development of a dissemination toolkit that accounts for Montana’s unique geographic challenges.

Impact data from more than 5,500 adolescents who have engaged with Project YES in other settings shows consistent reductions in hopelessness and self-hate and increases in agency, regardless of the intervention chosen. Project YES demonstrates how brief, evidence-based digital tools can expand access and deliver meaningful support at scale in a rural state.

New York City’s Connecting Families to Economic Supports (CFES) initiative is a three-year, cross-agency effort to ensure that families involved with — or at risk of entering — the child welfare and juvenile justice systems can reliably access the economic resources they need to thrive. Instead of treating economic hardship as separate from child and family well-being, CFES embeds supports like public benefits, housing assistance, workforce training, tax prep and direct material aid directly into the city’s service infrastructure.

Through a human-centered design process, the team has worked with more than one hundred families, youth, frontline staff and community partners to understand the barriers they face and co-design solutions. Together they are building a program model and set of tools that make securing economic support consistent, dignified and predictable. CFES represents a collaborative approach to public-sector innovation — uniting agencies, designers and community organizations to advance economic mobility and strengthen families across New York City.

This project was led by the Public Policy Lab, NYC Administration for Children's Services, and Chapin Hall.

In Cleveland, the Healthy Home Data Collaborative created a unified data platform designed to tackle asthma, lead exposure and housing-related health risks in the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods. The system integrates geocoded housing information, clinical records and community-data sources to highlight properties and areas at highest risk.

Developed with input from physicians, public-health officials and residents, the platform supports risk stratification and place-based interventions — enabling targeted enforcement, preventive inspections and tailored support for families living in hazardous homes. By linking health outcomes with housing conditions and mapping them spatially, the initiative gives policymakers and practitioners clear insight into where to focus resources and which residents face elevated danger.

The platform breaks down silos between hospitals, housing authorities and community organizations, translating raw datasets into actionable insights that improve housing safety, elevate health equity and protect children from environmental harm.

Oregon is addressing its housing affordability crisis by overhauling how affordable housing gets funded. In June 2024, Oregon Housing and Community Services launched the Oregon Centralized Application (ORCA), a streamlined, standards-based system that replaces the state’s fragmented and highly competitive funding process. Instead of navigating multiple NOFAs with different rules and deadlines, developers now submit through one coordinated intake and advance on a “first ready, first reviewed” basis. This reduces delays, increases transparency and opens access for rural, tribal and culturally specific organizations that previously struggled to compete.

ORCA consolidates more than 14 funding programs into a single workflow and provides early feedback so projects don’t stall or get disqualified late. In its first year, ORCA processed 346 intake forms representing more than 22,000 units, approved 42 projects and created or preserved over 4,200 homes. Funding now moves six times faster, and the time from award to construction has dropped by nearly a third — showing how process redesign can unlock housing production at scale.

Philadelphia has long struggled with the open-air drug market in Kensington and the deep harm it inflicts on residents living unhoused with co-occurring substance use disorder and serious mental health needs. As part of Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s commitment to break this cycle, the city launched a first-of-its-kind recovery-based housing initiative: Riverview Wellness Village, opened in January 2025.

The site provides 336 recovery beds paired with comprehensive on-site services addressing every major social determinant of health. Three service providers deliver integrated primary care, behavioral health and substance-use treatment, nutrition support, recreation, education, workforce development and employment services.

Residents graduate after one year into permanent housing with stability in recovery and income — a dramatic shift from chronic homelessness and repeated crisis. Fully funded with $55 million in city capital and supported by opioid settlement dollars and Medicaid-eligible services, Riverview is a national model for combining transitional housing with structured, long-term recovery support.

Wells are probably not something most people think about very often. Yet in Wisconsin alone, there are around 800,000 private wells supplying drinking water to households across the state. Managing them — and understanding whether the water they provide is safe — can be complex, costly and overwhelming. Faced with this challenge, Wisconsin took an unconventional route: a digital tool.

Be Well Informed for Wisconsin strengthens drinking water protection by helping private well owners understand laboratory test results and assess whether their water meets public health standards. Developed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the tool allows users to enter results from certified laboratories and receive clear, plain-language explanations of contaminants and potential health impacts — without needing to contact state agencies.

The initiative is the result of collaboration between the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the State Lab of Hygiene and the University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension. Built on a shared E-Enterprise for the Environment platform, originally developed by New Hampshire DES and hosted by ECOS, it offers a scalable, cost-effective model for improving public health through digital self-service.

Wyoming faces some of the nation’s highest unmet mental health needs, with 32.4% of adults reporting difficulty accessing counseling — well above the national average. Costs of care are also higher, limiting access even further. In response, Governor Mark Gordon launched a statewide initiative to modernize and strengthen the behavioral health system, beginning with a cross-sector summit that brought together government, private and philanthropic leaders. The effort focuses on building a shared understanding of needs, expanding available services, ensuring sustainable resources and reducing stigma across communities.

Key early strategies include Community Behavioral Health Reform, which from July 2024 requires community mental health centers to prioritize high-need populations such as individuals discharged from psychiatric or correctional facilities. Wyoming is also piloting a Three-Branch Diversion Court in Campbell County to redirect chronically mentally ill individuals away from the criminal justice system and into treatment. Together, these reforms lay the foundation for a more responsive, equitable and resilient mental health system.

New Mexico is modernizing how it manages one of its most strained resources through the New Mexico Water Data Initiative, a multiyear effort launched under the state’s Water Data Act. Led by the New Mexico Bureau of Geology, the initiative is building a modern, agile water data infrastructure that brings together information on water quality, quantity and use into a single open-data framework. Historically, these datasets lived in separate systems across agencies, limiting the state’s ability to respond quickly to drought, contamination risks or shifting demand.

By standardizing and integrating water data, the initiative gives policymakers, researchers and communities clearer, real-time insight into how water is being used and where vulnerabilities exist. The platform aims to support more responsible and transparent water management, strengthen long-term planning and help the state adapt to changing climate conditions. New Mexico’s approach demonstrates how modern data systems can turn fragmented information into a foundation for more resilient water governance.

Brian Whittaker is a former federal executive and the founder of Humans of Public Service (HOPS), an award-winning platform that has shared the stories of more than 200 public servants, humanizing public service to inspire trust and build the government we deserve.

Starting his career in the private sector, Brian transitioned to public service and has held leadership positions in the General Services Administration, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. In the Federal government, he has led organizations prioritizing the use of technology to improve public services. His projects include initiatives such as streamlining the farm loan application process and revamping online submission and processing of civil rights claims.

Mai-Ling Garcia is a public innovation and civic technology leader working at the intersection of cities, emerging technology, design, and institutional change.

With over 15 years of experience across local government, philanthropy, and academia, she has led and advised multi-city initiatives focused on evidence-based policy, digital transformation, and responsible AI adoption. She is an early contributor to ReThinkAI, a national research and practitioner coalition developing governance frameworks and piloting community-centered uses of AI in cities. She currently serves as a Senior Fellow for Technology and Democracy at New America, where her work focuses on governance, public-sector AI, and democratic accountability. Her work centers on the difficult alignment work that connects policy goals, budgets, procurement, governance, and service delivery so innovation produces durable public value.

Most recently, Mai-Ling directed emerging technology and AI strategy and programs across global cities at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg Centers for Government Excellence and Public Innovation. She previously held leadership roles in Oakland and San Francisco and continues to contribute to the field through advisory and governance roles with public-interest organizations. Her work examines how governments build readiness for change, make responsible technology choices, and turn innovation into outcomes communities can actually feel.

Dr. Marlon I. Brown serves as director of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. In this role, he is a member of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Cabinet and leads the state agency responsible for licensing and regulating nearly two million individuals and entities across various professions and industries. Marlon previously served as the department’s chief administrative officer and director of policy and legislative affairs. He has also held positions at the Michigan Supreme Court and the State Budget Office. Marlon earned a bachelor's degree in political science from American University, a master's degree in public administration from the University of Delaware, and a doctorate in public administration from Valdosta State University.

Paul Danczyk, PhD, is the Chief Operating Officer for California Counties Foundation, Inc., the 501c3 subsidiary of the California State Association of Counties. In his current capacity, Paul leads professional development and major initiatives to support California counties and leadership. This includes The William “Bill” Chiat Institute for Excellence in County Government, with over 140 classes annually; the CSAC Grants Initiative; and executive services. He facilitates retreats and is a featured instructor. As a certified executive coach, Paul worked with over 700 public sector executives and administrators one-on-one and in teams.

In previous roles, he was the Director of Executive Education in Sacramento for the University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy, and taught core courses in the Master of Public Administration and Master of Health Administration programs.

Roger Hartley is Professor of Public and International Affairs at the University of Baltimore and President-Elect of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA).

Roger served as Dean of the College of Public Affairs at the University of Baltimore (UBALT) for over 10 years after he began his tenure in 2015. UBALT is a minority serving institution focusing on public service and adult professionals. Like many UBALT students, Roger is a first-generation college graduate who strongly believes that higher education and public service changes lives. His passion in 25 years of service is the space where public engagement brings together practitioners and academics to train the next generation of public servants. At UBALT, he helped create the award-winning Community Development Fellows and NextGen Leaders of Public Service program in its Schaefer Center for Public Policy. He has also served as a faculty member and leader at the University of Arizona, Western Carolina, and Roanoke College as well as on many boards and commissions.

Sarah is an Organizational and Talent Strategy Leader focused on designing people-first systems that cultivate capability, foster growth, and support healthy, high-performing cultures. In her role as the Learning Strategy and Design Lead in the private sector, she guides cross-enterprise efforts that strengthen workforce effectiveness and long-term organizational health.

Her leadership roots trace back to her early career as a high school history teacher and principal in Washington, D.C., anchoring her approach in empathy, adaptability, and a belief in human potential. Sarah is a graduate of American University and now lives in Maryland with her two wonderful pups.

Sheryl Sculley is an award-winning city manager who is considered an authority on city management. She gained national attention for dealing with unsustainable benefits for San Antonio's police and fire unions--and in doing so, steered the city away from a future financial crisis. During her tenure, San Antonio achieved a AAA bond rating and invested bilions of dollars into critical infrastructure updates and additions. Prior to serving in San Antonio, Sculley was the assistant city manager in Phoenix and city manager in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Sculley is a life member of the International City/County Management Association and a fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration. After 45 years of public service, Sculley retired from city management in 2019.

Since retiring, Sculley joined a corporate board, continues to serve on several non-profit boards, consults with cities and businesses, has been an adjunct professor at the University of Texas in Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs, and is a guest lecturer at universities and professional organizations.

Troy Schneider is the President of Billington CyberSecurity, which produces industry-leading conferences and learning opportunities for the public sector cybersecurity community.

Schneider has been building and leading organizations at the intersection of media, technology and public sector for 30+ years. Before joining Billington CyberSecurity, he was President of GovExec360, where he oversaw operations, content, events and client services. He similarly led Public Sector 360, the government-focused business unit of 1105 Media Inc. that was acquired by GovExec in 2021. He was for many years the Editor-in-Chief of both FCW and GCN, two of the oldest and most influential publications in public-sector IT, and earlier in his career held leadership roles at the New America Foundation, Atlantic Media and National Journal.

Schneider began his career in print journalism, and has written for a wide range of publications, including The New York Times, WashingtonPost.com, Slate, Politico, Governing, and many of the other titles listed above. He is a graduate of Indiana University, where his emphases were journalism, business and religious studies.

Humans of Public Service (HOPS) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that shares stories of public servants on social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Instagram. We aim to support government through leadership and career development opportunities and create a community of public servants across the country.

Humans of Public Service (HOPS) empowers current and future public servants to build satisfying careers that benefit the collective good through celebration, education, and exploration.

The National Academy of Public Administration is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, non-partisan organization established in 1967 and chartered by Congress in 1984. To carry out this mission, the Academy draws on the knowledge and experience of its nearly 1,000 Fellows—including former cabinet officers, Members of Congress, governors, mayors, and state legislators, as well as prominent scholars, career public administrators, and non-profit and business executives. Supported by a full-time professional staff, our Fellows bring their insights, experience, successes, and lessons learned straight to our clients through independent thought leadership, in-depth studies and analyses, advisory services and technical assistance, congressional testimony, forums and conferences, and stakeholder engagement.

As outlined in its Congressional charter, the Academy seeks to advance government practices through studies and projects held to the highest standards of efficiency and excellence. From its founding, the Academy’s commitment to good governance drives the organization forward and inspires its work.